Curiosity, Creativity and Other Distractions of Christina Vandervlist

When contacted directly, Mary Rabakon was swift to take action and responded very pleasantly to my request. She’s temporarily removed things from her Etsy store, MaryT Designs, and requested clarification of what is and is not expected. This is what any ethical beader should do!

To summarize the basics, which Mary will be implementing shortly, I am happy to have beadweavers sell their own, handmade items that reference my designs, PROVIDED they include a clear attribution, including the book, Contemporary Geometric Beadwork, where appropriate. For example, something along the lines of “this work is based on a design by Christina Vandervlist (www.spiritbead.net) as seen in ‘Contemporary Geometric Beadwork’ (www.beadmobile.wordpress.com)”.

When listing your work for sale, whether in a gallery, shop, online or festival, it’s ALWAYS appropriate to credit the source. When unsure, contact the designer directly; many are quite content to have you sell your work (as we all need to feed the bead habit!) as long as they receive recognition for the design. However, since many bead designers are active teachers and / or authors, few are pleased if you sell directions or tutorials that closely follow their own design. It impacts on our living as this is, after all, a way we seek income, selling the fruits of our brains and hands.

In short, I am currently pleased with the resolution of things, and hope that my happy little island will once more be full of only happy pretty for the foreseeable future.

…when things are going SOOOOO well, to discover that another beader has decided to make their living from others’ hard, hard work.

The Etsy store “MaryT Designs” run by Mary Rabakon, is selling instructions for work not her own. Many items are rip offs of work from Contemporary Geometric Beadwork’s various volumes, Jean Power’s gorgeous work, etc., as well as work by other artists I instantly recognized.

When you work as hard as we all do to respect others’ efforts, be original, attribute fairly, and conduct ourselves honestly it’s disheartening to see rip-off artists spit on your rights and make their income dishonestly.

I’ve been so busy on so many fronts I haven’t published for some time, but that doesn’t mean I’m not active and designing and selling; just that I’m not POSTING. This person has never contacted me to ask permission, discuss possibilities or any other communication. The instructions are highly exacting and, although I’m bloody well NOT going to pay for instructions just to see, I’m forced to conclude she’s either completed lifted my own instructions or painstakingly reproduced the same. Again, that is NOT original work, lady!!!!

Now, of course I knew this was coming up, but it’s been back-burnered in my mind for ages as it was in the polishing and publishing stages. Imagine my surprise when I got home late yesterday evening to find a huge brown box waiting for me…from Sterling Publishing? At first I thought it was something Kate McKinnon is sending to me but then it clicked! OMG – Marcia DeCoster’s new book is out!!!

Tearing into the box I found my copies of “Marcia DeCoster Presents”; I’m on pages 102-105! FOUR pages of my work showcased with some of the most interesting, talented and visionary bead artists on the planet, and included at the specific request of Marcia herself!

I am so high with delight, awe, fascination, humbled amazement, joy and gratitude…

So many delightful feelings are tumbling through my mind right now!!! Contemporary Geometric Beadwork Volume 2 is in the final stages of preparation and will join this lovely new book, as well as Volume 1, on my bookshelf soon…

When I’ve had time to assimilate the shock and awe I’ll post more about this lovely book; oh, and I will be resuming teaching this Spring, too!…so much to tell…”see” you soon.

…knowing a friend is coming to town from overseas! That’s right, folks, the AB FAB and TOTALLY COSMIC Jean Power will be in Ontario tonight! If you are even SLIGHTLY interested in geometric beadwork you really need to put aside a few hours (days, months…) to have a look at Jean’s website, blog and shop. She is a design force to be reckoned with and her vibrant joie de vivre is absolutely contagious.

Oh happy day, calloo, callay……<wandering off to continue Happy Dance out of sight of co-workers>…

…it’s sunny, warm and a lightly cooling breeze constantly wafts past, perfumed with the Mountain Ash blossoms that are in abundance where I walk from my car to my office. I have really been aware of the luscious fragrance this year; quite happily, too! My seasonal allergies have all but obliterated my sense of smell, so the rare occasions I can distinguish something are really precious to me, and I savour them to the utmost.

I received an email from a student just yesterday, with a photograph of the piece she completed after taking my Bellybands, Wings & Horns class at That Bead Lady. Marilyn Parker chose to keep to double layers on the outer edges, only, but used a technique I’ve only WANTED to do for a year now, and have never had time to complete. Marilyn completed an absolutely stunningly gorgeous Interlaced Helix Bangle Variation – isn’t it magnificent? I’m absolutely delighted to see it, and Marilyn, I cannot thank you enough for thinking to send me the photo, and for your permission to share it. You have done a wonderful piece of wearable art that I know will be a conversation starter – and show stopper! – for many years to come. Congratulations!

… I woke to a lovely, steady, light pattering rain; just about my mostest favouritest kind of weather in the world! All you sunshine -lovers get the bulk of the Summer, so allow my late Spring sprinkle, okay? *G* After all, isn’t it nice to know that your yucky day is someone else’s fabulous one?

I am surrounded with wonder and wonderFUL on all sides these days. My grown-up girl, C, is proving herself to have quite the eye for texture as well as an appreciation for irony. She took this amazing photograph while at work one day recently. No matter how “civilization” tries to tame nature, it just won’t be tamed! Or boxed in, or fenced…

I’ve had no time to update this blog, so my apologies for leaving everyone wondering what’s up lately. There’s been so much happening!!!

I was invited to it by Cathy Lampole of That Bead Lady, who gave me a place to sign books and chat with all kinds of beady peeps. It was super fun! Also, Marg Yamanaka of BeadFX used the Bead Fair to introduce the new Contemporary Geometric Beadwork kits, which were beautifully put together by her staff and contained not only excerpts from the book, but everything needed to sit right down and start beading, from needle to thread to cylinder beads!

I also got to see two of my favourite lampwork artists and load up on their amazing work – I STRONGLY recommend seeing the extraordinary beads made by Laurie Wright and Muriel Duval yourself; in person, if at all possible. Their beauty is astounding and inspirational.

Also, in case you missed the notice, Kate MacKinnon has opened up pre-orders for Contemporary Geometric Beadwork, Volume 2. This will be another amazing “gotta get” for beaders, with the material we could not force into the first book, as well as entirely new information and ideas, such as chains! We’re working so hard on this and Kate’s convinced we’ll have it put to bed by year end – yahoo!

On top of all this abundance and magnificence, Kate has sent me a treasure from her own hands (and Russell’s head!) – the Golden Crown Cuff is mine! I fell in love with this piece when Kate was still working on it and was thrilled to my bones to discover it knew my name – I could hear it calling all the way from Tucson. And, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of spirit and just amazing coolness of Kate, it’s actually MINE! All mine! My precioussssssssss……*creeping away to fondle the splendiferous fabulosity in private*. I’ll try to drag myself away from it to give you a few more updates and pieces of happiness soon. Oh, and if you’re waiting on an email, they should be all caught up quite soon – miss you, too! (((hugs all ’round!)))

Oh, thank goodness it’s finally Friday! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, and I have exciting plans. On Sunday I get to take a lovely country drive, which I enjoy, to That Bead Lady, which I ALSO enjoy, and spend the afternoon teaching Bellybands, Wings and Horns, which – wait for it – I LOVE! *G* If you’re free, just give them a call to register and join us – I’ll tell them they have my permission to overmax the class! Is there any better, happier or more rewarding way to spend a lovely afternoon? It’s been a tough couple of weeks so I am REALLY looking forward to this. Join us – you’ll have fun!

I was doing some housekeeping-type admin tasks and came across this photo, which made me smile big-time! My family has a wealth of unusual names – ChristinA (NOT ChristinE), Harry, Bampi, etc. – and we’ve always stopped and taken a photo when we discovered a family name on a business sign. I can remember my father pulling a quick U-turn on the TransCanada Highway as a child, because he spotted a “Bampi’s Coffee” sign!

Oddly enough (or maybe not, considering it’s me!), this seemed to unleash a screaming bunch of “bead me!’s” and I find myself compelled to set up multiple worktrays and repeatedly return to the ideas I’ve been developing. Here I was, trying to be disciplined and stick to one concept at a time, but I’ve been ambushed in all directions and will now have to pick up more trays; I’ve run out! *G* Obviously, it’s trays I’ve run out of; the ideas are bubbling from a bottomless abyss of abundance!

Have you been following our book blog? It’s so exciting to think Kate’s about to open up the pre-order specials for Volume 2! I’m well into the illustrations and I cannot WAIT to see what people make next! If you check out the book’s FaceBook page you’ll see a few GORGEOUS pieces already slated for Volume 2. And Kate has uploaded completely AWESOME videos of thread paths so that those who are totally visual have a chance to keep up with everyone else. There’s a wonderful video description and demonstration of the Modified Right Angle Weave Bellyband that Kate and Dustin Wedekind developed, paired with a Tri-Wing Ring. A second video shows how to adjust the MRAW Bellyband so that it Zigs and Zags automatically, even as it is built!

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Who, me?

Christina Vandervlist was trained in performance, design and teaching technique from a very young age. Art has always provided a welcome outlet for her creativity as well as a way to connect with others. Christina has enjoyed teaching classes at the Bead & Button Show (the world’s largest consumer bead show) multiple times, as well as repeated engagements at Bead Fest, and innumerable times at her local bead store, guild and area venues. She is a published author and designer, and her work has also graced the cover of Beadwork magazine.